NEW YORK—The national average for gross revenue at ECP locations increased last week, Jan. 24-30, at a rate of 4 index points, according to Jobson’s most recent Practice Performance Tracker. That places gross revenue at a level below where it was at this point in time (Week 5) last year (-3 index points) as well as below where it was in 2020 (-2 index points). However, last week’s average gross revenue is 9 index points above where it was during Week 5 in 2019.
 
All optical sales categories increased last week, recouping and surpassing (except contact lenses) the losses of the previous week, Jan. 17-23. Both gross revenue and exams/refractions increased by 4 index points last week compared with decreases of -3 index points and -2 index points, respectively, the previous week.
 
Both frame units and lens pairs increased by 3 index points last week—regaining and surpassing the -2 index points each category lost the previous week. The contact lenses category was a wash, increasing 5 index points last week after decreasing by the same amount the previous week.
 
With all optical sales increasing last week, all but two categories reached levels above an average week in 2019—the index baseline assigned a value of 100 for this Optical Business Tracker. Gross revenue, at 110 index points, remains the highest above that benchmark, the frame units category is equal to 100 index points, and the contact lens category is the only one below 100 at 98 index points.
 
Jobson Optical Research selected 1,500 optical locations that have been operating and reporting their sales to its partners, GPN and ABB Analytics, since 2019. The index has been rebased to an average week in 2019. Going forward, this new index base will be used as an arbitrary benchmark and assigned a value of 100.
 
Click here to view the complete Jobson COVID-19 Performance Tracker